Bound
by fruitsmoothie123
Summary: CHAPTER 8 UP! [KyoxYuki] Kyou and Yuki are assigned an interesting homework assignment - being stuck with each other for 3 days straight.
1. The Assignment

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of these lovely characters. I understand if the story is not plausible, but bear with me. ) Enjoy!

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**Bound**

Part 1: The Assignment

"EVERYONE SIT DOWN!" shouted Sensei.

All eyes turned to the normally quiet teacher, including those hard crimson ones of Sohma Kyou and the pretty lavender of Sohma Yuki.

"Now that I have everyone's attention, I need you all to listen carefully to your next assignment. This is a VERY VERY important assignment, responsible for 50 of your course grade, so it is vital that you listen to the criteria."

Kyou stole a glance at Tohru, who was fully focused on the teacher's words. He knew how important it was for her to succeed in school, but sometimes the look of utter concentration on her face amused him more than anything else.

She was so naive, so innocent, and oh so clumsy, yet she seemed to hold more wisdom than all the Sohma men combined. Perhaps that was why every single one of them was undeniably attracted to her. Perhaps not in love with her, but definitely attracted and amazed by her purity, even Akito. That was the way Kyou personally felt. He used to think he was head over heels in love with her…but he had been wrong.

When she finally had seen his true form, he realized what he had felt was not love - at least not the passionate kind of love he had thought. It was more like a love between a sister and a brother. He had felt truly accepted by Tohru, felt like she had become family, so much that as the days went by, he felt his need to be accepted as a Sohma lessen. And as a result of that, he also felt his hate for Yuki decrease. Not by a lot, but slowly, the anger dissipated faster and the physical fighting eased.

But the frequent banter of "damn rat / cat" was still as strong as ever, and despite Kyou's inner desire to stop the verbal abuse, he could not bring himself to be the first to let go. Too much stubborn pride was a common feature among the Sohma men. He turned back to the teacher. It was simply hopeless.

Yuki watched Kyou finally tear his eyes away from Tohru after staring for ages. He sighed inwardly, exasperated. It truly bothered him that Kyou never confessed his feelings to Tohru, and that Tohru was so oblivious to them. It was so obvious to Yuki that Kyou was deeply in love with Tohru – almost as obvious as how much Yuki cared for Tohru in a brother-sister way. He knew that he felt nothing more for her than a brotherly love.

Yuki was gentle, but practical. He knew that he always wanted to be there for her, and yet he knew that there was no way he would ever be able to be with her. The curse of the Sohma's simply left him no option, for he could not bear being in love with someone and not being able to embrace them. He knew what love had done to the Sohmas, Hatori was the perfect example. No, he had realized early on that he could not fall in love with Tohru. He knew however that Kyou didn't give a damn. He knew Tohru was healing Kyou slowly, filling him with acceptance and taking away his pain, and he was glad.

After seeing his horrifying transformation, Yuki had come to respect the cat. He had never realized that Kyou had so many inner demons to fight as well. For once in his life, Yuki realized just how self-involved he had been, and how much he wanted to understand Kyou better.

But of course, being cat and mouse, that was nearly impossible. Although he had already started fighting less with Kyou, it seemed their relationship would not progress beyond that point. He always felt at a loss for nice words for Kyou whenever they were together, and in his crude attempts to make conversation, only cruel words would spill from his mouth, igniting the cat's wild temper. It was simply hopeless.

"So for this assignment, I've paired everyone off, but because of the number of students in the class, one group will be a group of 3."

Kyou, Tohru, and Yuki all turned toward each other simultaneously. There was no doubt in their minds that the 3 would be them; the teacher knew how well they got along and how well they would work together.

"I've decided that the group of three will be Hanajima, Uotani, and Tohru."

Surprise and disappointment passed over Kyou and Yuki's face quickly as they registered what the teacher had said. They had hoped the three of them would be able to work together; it would've made things much easier.

As the teacher continued pairing people off, Kyou and Yuki grew more and more nervous. They both hoped that they each would not be paired with a girl – that would be such a hassle to deal with. They were both so concentrated on waiting for their own names to be called that they didn't realize they were the only two remaining.

"'Finally, Yuki and Kyou will be working together on this project."

Tohru let out a little yelp as Kyou stood up very suddenly, crimson eyes flashing, while Yuki hid his turmoil of emotions under his princely masks. Both boys were shocked beyond belief, but there was no doubt in either boy's mind that they would easily go their separate ways on the project.

"Now for the criteria: you and your partner will have to spend the next 3 days tied together by a long rope. You will eat together, sleep together, come to school together, and do all activities together. This is why I made sure each pair is the same sex to avoid any uncomfortable situations.

At no time during these three days are you allowed to take off the rope. This means of course that one of you will have to stay at the others' house. As for who goes where, I leave all these arrangements to you.

The point of this assignment is to learn how to cooperate with others and clear communication. I have noticed recently that our classroom conduct has been deteriorating, and this assignment is a freshen-up course in cooperating with others.

At the end of the three days, both you and your partner will write an individual report on how well you got along, difficulties and how you got through them. Remember how important this assignment is to your grade. Is this clear?"

Most of the students groaned, but some chattered excitedly to their new partners. Of course, Kyou and Yuki were not part of those people. Both sat in silence, equally stunned by the teacher's outrageous project. The words "eat together, sleep together, and do all activities together" echoed in their heads. How the hell were they going to learn how to cooperate in 3 days?

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**Reviews: **Good? Bad? Horrible? "PLEASE TAKE IT OFF" kind of pitiful? Let me know. I actually have the next3 parts written out , ready to go! I just need to make sure people like it first. ) 


	2. The Fall

Thanks for reviews!) Much appreciated, and thanks for letting me kno that i dint enable anonymous reviews! haha I hadn't noticed, so thanks alot! P Here's the next chapter. Review agen please and let me know how it is!

Part 2: The Fall

"I'm leaving! Everyone please take care of themselves, I made some extra stew for everyone, when you are hungry please heat it up! And the laundry has been recently done, and …"

"Tohru! It's fine, we're grown men, we can take care of ourselves fine!" Sohma Shigure laughingly scolded, and waved her away. "Go on, have fun for the next few days with Hanajima and Uotani-san."

Tohru reluctantly nodded and glanced at her two friends, bound to her on the wrist by a long thick rope. "Then please, Shigure-san, take care of Yuki and Kyou. These few days will be hard for them…." Tohru faded off, all too aware of the chaos that was bound to ensue as soon as she left the house.

The idea of Kyou and Yuki bound together for three days was just preposterous. She shuddered, she didn't want to imagine the wreckage of a house she would have to face when she came back home.

Right on cue, came Kyou bounding the stairs, ungracefully yanking Yuki along for the ride. They both scrambled and tripped down the stairs, obviously uncoordinated and highly displeased with the new arrangement.

"DAMN RAT! Move FASTER you slowpoke! Having you around my wrist is like having a huge weight dragging me down." Kyou yelled, rubbing his wrist as the rope scratched roughly against his already bruised skin.

"Shut up you idiot cat. Why can't you learn to move at a civilized pace? Always running madly everywhere, acting like a chicken with its head cut off." Yuki stated in his calm, icy voice.

"CHICKEN! Who are you calling a chicken? You're asking for it!" Kyou raised his fists, ready to attack, when Shigure suddenly cut in.

"Um, boys, didn't you come down to say goodbye to Tohru?"

The two boys turned toward the brown-haired girl standing meekly at the doorway, connected to her two friends. Both immediately softened their guard, and Yuki smiled at Tohru.

"Have a good time these next 3 days, Honda-san. Don't worry about anything; we will take care of it." She smiled slowly at Yuki, not really believing him but pleased that he was trying.

Kyou 'hmph'ed loudly and turned away, but his gut was gnawing at him. He knew he should've behaved better in front of Tohru, she was obviously worried about them getting along… or their lack thereof, but stupid Yuki had to beat him to it.

"Yeah…we're not that stupid. I can handle the damn rat for a few days." Kyou mumbled, scratching his head, embarrassed. Yuki smiled inwardly; he knew Kyou was trying to make Tohru feel better.

"Okay then! Please don't hesitate to call me if there are any problems! I will be staying at Hana-chan's." Tohru smiled, and with a wave, left with her two friends in tow.

As Shigure retreated to his study, Kyou and Yuki stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. The day had passed by with a blur earlier as people paired off and were each tied to one another. Yuki and Kyou had gone through the whole process in shock, without speaking, simply following directions like robots and allowing the teacher to tie them together.

It was not until they were walking home with Tohru, Hanajima and Uotani that they had become fully aware of their situation. Kyou tended to walk at a fast pace while Yuki liked to take his time; and so the cat and mouse bickered the whole way home as Kyou tried to get Yuki to hurry up while Yuki tried to slow him down. The only result was a lot of tug-o-war and two much bruised wrists.

"I'm going to my room." Yuki announced suddenly, tugging on Kyou's wrist forcefully.

"Wait a second, why do you get to go to your room? Why can't we go to my room?" Kyou argued angrily. Yuki ignored him and proceeded to start up the stairs, when Kyou yanked him back down.

"Don't just walk away from me you damn rat!" Kyou growled. Yuki turned around, purple eyes blazing, and lunged for Kyou. He had never been first to initiate their fights, but it had been a long day and he was tired of bickering. He wanted it to end. Now.

Kyou reacted quickly and jerked back, but being bound, he managed to heave Yuki towards him even more, sending Yuki flying towards him. With that, Yuki landed with a loud thump on top of Kyou, and they slammed backwards onto the hard wooden floor in a tangled heap.


	3. Truth Revealed

**Author Note**: Thank you for reviews! I'm so happy! So as a bonus, I wrote the next _TWO_ chapters!  
As areply to how I came up with the idea, it's kind of a long story.I had actually started writing a story about the love triangle between Tohru, Kyou and Yuki a few years ago, under another username, and then for some reason after one chapter, I started to lose interest, and then when I recently decided to go back into writing, I couldn't remember my password or the e-mail account I had used back then! haha. So I decided to start anew, and focus on Kyou and Yuki instead. I was trying to come up with a scenario in which they'd be forced to spend time together, and I had started writing this story while I was trying to avoid doing my paper. --" And so, me doing my school assignment + the idea of Yuki and Kyou forced to spend time together lead to Bound! haha.  
Hope everyone continues to enjoy the story! And if anyone has ideas on some more possible "daily life scenarios" between Kyou and Yuki, let me know.

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Part 3: Truth Revealed

Pale purple met fiery red as both looked up, faces inches away from one another. Yuki's hands were on either side of Kyou's head, legs tangled up in one another's.

'His eyes are so bright, so deep', Yuki unconsciously thought to himself. 'But so full of rage at the same time…is it because of me? Does he really hate me that much?' Yuki thought as he studied Kyou's face intently.

"What the hell are you looking at, you stupid rat? Get OFF me!" Kyou spat out, trying to hide his pink-tinged face as he struggled to push Yuki off him. He felt self-conscious that Yuki had been looking at him with such an interest, more interest than he had ever shown before. What disturbed him even more was that he had liked it. The purple-haired boy was even prettier close-up, skin pale and creamy, big eyes bright and soft. Oh my God, he groaned inwardly, what was he thinking? The pink on his face deepened even further as he kept his eyes down.

Yuki's face flamed as he quickly shot up, realizing just how close they had been, and humiliated that he had stupidly stared at Kyou for such a long time. 'I'm such an idiot!' Yuki thought angrily to himself. 'What am I doing? He's probably going to report this to Tohru and they're going to laugh at me together behind my back.'

"I guess fighting is no longer an option," Kyou grumbled as he stood up unsteadily. He felt at a loss for words or actions. What were they going to do now that they could no longer fight? That's all they ever did. Yuki was thinking the same thing as they both stood silently.

"Well… it's just for the next 3 days. After that you can try to win again all you want." Yuki stated quickly, desperate to break the awkward silence. As soon as the words came spilling out, he wished he could take them back as he watched Kyou's eyes flame in anger.

"What did you say? So you looking down on me again?" Kyou snarled, fury radiating. "I know I'm not good enough to beat the great Yuki, right? No one ever thinks I will be able to beat you…but I will show you! I can do it, and when I do, I will become a proud member of the Sohma family!" Kyou yelled out uncontrollably.

He had not wanted to burst out like he did, but his frustration had boiled over. He was sick and tired of hearing the rat's degrading comments. He felt disgusted with himself. What had he been thinking, wanting to befriend the rat? Yuki would not see him as anything than a worthless enemy. It was simply an impossible task.

"That wasn't my intention! Why do you want to be accepted into the family so badly? What's so good about it?" Yuki's emotions came pouring out unexpectedly. "You think once you're accepted, all your problems will go away? Trust me, you can have my place all you want, I'd rather be in your shoes any day than be a Sohma!" Yuki burst out suddenly. Kyou's eyes widened as he took a step back, unsure of how to respond. He had never heard Yuki raise his voice, and let alone heard such strong emotions behind his words.

The words Yuki had spoken sounded like they were coming from someone else, someone that he had never revealed to anyone else. It was an angry, weak, and ugly side of Yuki that he never wanted anyone to see…his princely exterior should always be on display… especially in front of Kyou. Yuki felt shaken. How had he let his control slip?

Kyou saw confusion and distress written all over Yuki's face, and for once, felt sorry. He had never thought Yuki was suffering his own problems, and never once did he think Yuki would rather be in Kyou's place. He had been so focused on his own problems that he had never taken Yuki's point of view. "Forget it." Kyou mumbled softly, looking away as he felt his face heat up. He just couldn't stand the sad look on Yuki's face, it bothered him, so he'd just let this one go. Just once.

Yuki looked up at Kyou, shocked. Kyou's face was blushing softly, eyes averted from Yuki's. 'Is this his way of apologizing?' Yuki thought to himself. Turning to start up the stairs, Kyou suddenly paused. "Don't keep everything to yourself all the time, stupid mouse…." Kyou said, so quietly Yuki almost didn't hear it. Warmth spread through his face as he looked up at Kyou, and saw him looking back at him. Red eyes pierced his own lavender ones, but for once, they were not filled with anger.

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Kyou and Yuki face the kitchen next! heehee. 


	4. Knife

Part 4: Knife

"Kyou-kun, Yuki-kun, is dinner ready yet?" Shigure sang from his study as the two boys worked in the kitchen.

"Shut up Shigure! Don't talk to us in that disgusting voice! If you want dinner fast, you should be in here helping me too!" Kyou spat out, putting more force into chopping the vegetables as Yuki watched him, silently standing next to him.

It was decided early on that Yuki would not participate in cooking, since Kyou knew the kitchen would be burned down if Yuki tried. He did however have no choice but to let Yuki stand next to him and follow him around the kitchen, as he wasn't able to reach the counter if Yuki sat at the kitchen table.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you do?" Yuki's voice suddenly cut through Kyou's thoughts. Kyou looked up to see a concerned Yuki standing very close to him. His face burned again, and he chopped the vegetables with increased vigor.

"I'm fine, you idiot. You know how bad you are in the kitchen. Anything that you touch in the kitchen ends up as charcoal." Kyou muttered, but there was no malice in his words.

Yuki laughed unexpectedly, startling Kyou. He couldn't help it, because he knew how true it was. Everything he touched DID turn to charcoal… nothing was spared when he was in the kitchen.

Kyou studied Yuki's laughing face with interest. Never had Yuki even smiled in front of Kyou, let alone laughed. It was a light, pleasant sound, and Kyou found himself smiling as he turned back to the vegetables.

Realizing that he was actually laughing in front of Kyou, Yuki stopped suddenly, embarrassed. Twice in one day he had let Kyou see a vulnerable side of him…what was happening? He ran his hand through his long hair, sighing.

Expecting Kyou to be disgusted with his girly laughter, he sneaked a glance over at Kyou. But to his surprise, he saw him smiling softly as he chopped the vegetables. It was such a gentle expression, one that Yuki had never once seen on Kyou's face unless Tohru had been around to bring it out. To know that he had caused such an expression brought a blush to Yuki's face and a warm feeling spread through him.

'Damn it, he's embarrassed now that I saw him laughing. I shouldn't have smiled; he probably thought I was laughing at him.' Kyou thought to himself, misinterpreting Yuki's blushing face. He retracted his smile and resumed his cranky expression.

'Oh crap, he's mad now, he probably saw me looking at him…AGAIN.' Yuki thought to himself sadly. 'Who am I kidding anyway; he'll never want to be friends with me. It's just too far beyond my reach.' At that thought, Yuki turned away to set the table, not wanting to be near Kyou anymore. Forgetting that he was still tied to Kyou, the rope grew taut, and jerked Kyou's hand, causing him to drop the cutting knife onto the floor.

"What the hell are you doing you idiot?" Kyou burst out angrily. The knife had almost stabbed right through Yuki's foot, and he felt guilty about letting go of the knife so easily.

"What? I didn't do anything you stupid cat. Jeez, sorry if the knife almost hit you, but you're so thick-skinned it wouldn't hurt you anyway!" Yuki retorted, angry at himself for being so careless but directing his frustration instead to Kyou.

"I wasn't worried about me, I was worried about YOUR foot, you damn rat, the knife almost went right through it!" Kyou spat back without thinking. Yuki's eyes widened at Kyou's confession, and Kyou grew embarrassed, looking away as he realized what he had revealed.

"I'm…sorry. I wasn't thinking." Yuki whispered softly, looking guiltily at the floor where the knife lay. Kyou's head jerked upward, never in his life had he heard Yuki apologize to him. Ever. He knew he should feel proud that the rat was apologizing, should rub it in his face. And yet he felt no such need…in fact, all he felt was a yearning to take away the guilty look in Yuki's eyes.

"Never mind…it doesn't matter Yuki." Kyou replied quietly, accidentally letting slip the name 'Yuki' for the first time. He was afraid to see Yuki's response, and at the same time, he was hoping to see a look of acceptance. Or maybe Yuki wouldn't even notice, or wouldn't even care.

Yuki's face grew burning hot as he heard Kyou gently call his name. It wasn't just the fact that he had called him by his name, but the way he said it made Yuki feel like someone had called him for the first time. He realized he wanted so badly to hear it again, wanted Kyou to call him by his name all the time.

"BOYS! What are you guys doing in there! I WANT MY DINNERRRRR!" Shigure's loud voice startled the two of them, and as quickly as their eyes met, they darted away.

"Come on, let's hurry up and get this food cooked before Shigure has a fit," Kyou said, leaning down to pick up the knife and hide his burning face. Yuki nodded, and the two continued to work in companionable silence the rest of the time, each privately reveling in confused thoughts of the other.

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Review time! hehe. What do you guys think will happen next? Gimme some predictions hehe. I know everyone eagerly anticipates the sleeping arrangements chapter! muhaha.


	5. Scrub A Dub Dub

_**Author's Note:** Thanks again for reviews! )_

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Part 5: Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

The three Sohma men were gathered around the table, all eyes focused intently on the television. Yet two of the three pairs of eyes were not really watching, not really paying attention. Kyou scratched unconsciously at the rope that bound him and Yuki together, feeling sticky from the long day.

"I'm going to take a bath," he announced as he started to get up.

"How?" Shigure asked, not even trying to keep the smirk off his face.

Kyou froze as he looked at Yuki, who looked back at him with an equal look of confusion. He had not thought of how they were going to do this. The rope was long enough for the other to stand outside when they were going to the toilet, but it was not long enough to reach the bathtub. They were both going to have to be in the bathroom together.

"DAMMIT!" Kyou shrieked in frustration, as he started to trudge up the stairs, Yuki in tow. Shigure's laughter echoed downstairs.

"Look…I'll just face the door while you … go…ahead, alright?" Yuki tried to keep his voice from squeaking, as images of Kyou bathing started to run through his mind. He could see Kyou's ears go pink as he got the necessary things from his room to shower.

"Fine! But you turn around, and I'll beat you to death, rope or no rope," Kyou threatened, leading Yuki to the bathroom. Never had he felt so nervous about taking a bath before.

Yuki tried unsuccessfully to keep his heart from pounding as he followed Kyou into the bathroom and shut the door. It was so loud in his ears that he was almost convinced Kyou could hear it too. As Kyou got the water started and the steam started to billow around them, both stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. Finally, Kyou took the initiative and told Yuki to turn around as he undressed.

Yuki gulped as he felt Kyou struggle to get his t-shirt off, when it suddenly dawned on him. Kyou would not be able to take his shirt fully off, because the rope connected their wrists. He was about to tell Kyou this when he heard Kyou curse loudly behind him. Apparently, he had realized this as well. That also meant that Kyou only had one hand free to take off his pants. Yuki grew more nervous as he heard Kyou struggle with his pants zipper, and finally heard the soft thump of clothes landing on the bathroom floor.

Kyou tugged on the rope lightly to signal to Yuki to move closer to the bathtub, and Kyou gingerly stepped into the steaming hot water, relieved that he was finally hidden in the water. He had felt nerve-rackingly aware of his nakedness when he was undressing, and the struggle to get his pants off had unnerved him further.

The idea of having Yuki right there while he was stark naked was strange and frightening. He felt himself relax in the water, and he glanced at the back of Yuki's head. Yuki was standing uncomfortably facing the door. Kyou could tell Yuki was just as tense as he was, shoulders bunched up, and the bound arm was extended out at an awkward angle. Kyou sighed and tugged on the rope slightly to get Yuki's attention.

"Hey…why don't you sit down on the floor…just lean against the bathtub, but still facing the door of course!" Kyou said quickly, surprising Yuki. He was aware that his shoulder was starting to ache, and sitting sounded so much more comfortable than standing there. He reluctantly made his way backwards, closer to the bathtub, using his hand to find the edge to grasp and ease himself down. He finally sat down on the cold stone floor and relaxed, letting out a sigh of newfound comfort.

Kyou heard Yuki's sigh and relaxed as well, letting the heat from the water wash over his tired muscles. He had been tense all day. Taking the bar of soap to scrub himself, he reflected over the day. So many things had happened that confused him, left him with strange new feelings for the mouse that he had no idea ever existed. They were alarming…but encouraging at the same time. He felt like he was finally progressing with Yuki.

Yuki heard the small splashing noises that Kyou made as he washed himself. He found the sounds strangely soothing, and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the cold hard bathtub. He was tired, worn out from the day's events, and yearned to take a bath as well, but he would have to wait his turn. As Kyou reached to get the shampoo bottle with his free arm, he clumsily knocked over the bottle of conditioner, sending it skidding across the bathroom floor. Yuki's eyes snapped open at the sound.

"Uh…think you can get that for me?" Kyou managed to say and saw Yuki get up slowly and reach for the conditioner. As Yuki made his way backwards again toward the tub, he didn't notice the trail of water left from the conditioner, and his feet suddenly gave out from beneath him. He felt himself falling backwards, and as he anticipated the cold hard floor of the bathroom, he instead heard a large splash as he hit hot water. He had fallen right into the bathtub, and squarely into Kyou's lap – for the second time today. The only difference was this time, Kyou was completely naked.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! muhaha. only i know. hee hee. 


	6. Recovery Or Not?

**Authors Note:** Since I reached the 50 reviews mark, I decided to post up another chapter! Yay! hehe.  
Thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad you guys like it! Enjoy!

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Part 6: Recovery…or Not?

Both boys froze in shock. Yuki's violet hair was drenched as his clothes started to soak and weigh him down, sinking him deeper into the tub and into Kyou's lap. His arms were flailing out above the water, wanting to reach for something to grip, but at the same time still rendered motionless due to complete shock. Half his legs dangled out over the side of the bathtub, making it even harder for him to get up.

As Yuki turned slowly to face Kyou, he was somewhat awestruck at the sight. Kyou's red eyes peered out behind his dripping orange bangs, wide with shock. His lips were slightly parted, almost ready to speak. Yuki could see his bare shoulders above the steaming water, and they were well-muscled as droplets of water clung to his tan skin. Yuki felt his face grow hot from the close proximity with Kyou, yet he could not bring himself to tear his eyes away.

Kyou was also experiencing the same mixed emotions, and he saw them reflected back in Yuki's eyes. 'Why isn't he getting up?' Kyou wondered to himself, still unsure of what to say. He could feel Yuki's warm body even through the water, and though he was heavy, he felt comforted by the weight on his thighs. He found himself not wanting Yuki to get up at all, but he had to break the silence.

"Yuki…" he started. He saw Yuki's face flush with pink, suddenly awakening from his reverie.

"Ah, sorry! I slipped on some water." Yuki struggled to get himself out of the tub, but arms flailing, managed to fall back into the tub again. Kyou couldn't help but smile awkwardly as he watched Yuki's comical efforts. He had never seen such un-princely behavior from Yuki: legs half out of the tub, hair dripping and arms waving uncontrollably. It was quite a sight, and he let out a small chuckle.

Yuki glanced over at Kyou's amused expression, and embarrassed, haughtily said "I don't think this is very funny", eyebrows creased in a frown. This only made Kyou laugh even harder, and finally, he stuck his hand out to help Yuki.

"Come on, you're not going to get anywhere if you don't hold onto something," he offered gruffly. Yuki looked warily at Kyou's outstretched hand, unsure of whether Kyou was being sincere, but he took it regardless. Kyou's hand was warm and wet from the water, soft yet rough with calluses from training.

Kyou watched as Yuki took his hand tentatively, and gripped it harder as he managed to pull himself out of the water with the other hand on the edge of the tub. He was startled by the paleness of Yuki's hand contrasting with his darker skin, and blushed as he noticed how soft and slender his fingers were.

As Yuki stood awkwardly without a towel, Kyou's laughter came out again as he stared at Yuki's dripping body, looking like a helpless near-drowned dog. "I guess you don't need to take a bath now," he chuckled.

Yuki's eyes narrowed, but there was a playful smile on his face, knowing Kyou's laughter was not mean-spirited. He suddenly shook his head like a dog, and water flew everywhere, splattering Kyou in the face. Both boys laughed as each tried to out-drown the other, and in the end Kyou emerged the victor as he had a whole bathtub of water available to douse on Yuki.

"Use my towel, you stupid mouse," Kyou said laughingly, as he pointed to his towel lying on the counter.

"What about you?" Yuki asked, eager to get dry, but unwilling to soak Kyou's towel.

"Don't worry, I'll just re-use it." Kyou said easily before realizing that he was actually going to share a towel with the mouse.

Yuki eyes widened slightly at Kyou's words, but turned around and started to dry himself with Kyou's towel. He could smell Kyou's earthy scent in it, and couldn't help but breathe it in deeply before handing the towel back to Kyou and turning around to let him get out.

As Kyou rubbed the damp towel on his head, he could smell Yuki's sweet scent on the towel, and it made him lightheaded. Or maybe it was the fact that he had stood up too quickly from the hot bath and had stayed in there too long, but Kyou felt the world around him spin, and he reached out for Yuki's shoulder before he felt the world around him darken, and then turn pitch black.


	7. Bedtime

**Author's Note**: Thanks for reviews guys! I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating, I had a major writer's block and the creative juices just weren't flowing. But I feel like I've recovered, I hope you guys agree? Hehe, be sure to review!

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Part 7: Bedtime

Kyou awoke with his head throbbing, and found himself lying on something soft and warm. As he started to get up, groaning from the pounding that increased in his head, he looked around. He realized he was in his own room, lying on his bed. What had happened?

"You awake? You've been out for awhile already." Yuki's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts, and Kyou turned to see Yuki wearing PJs, sitting on a mattress on the floor next to his bed.

"Yeah…my head feels like its being crushed with rocks. What happened again?" Kyou squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember why he blacked out…he was taking a bath, and as he stood up…. His eyes snapped open as he suddenly remembered that he had lost consciousness when coming out of the bathtub. He looked down and realized he was still stark naked, and his face turned beet red.

"How…did I…did you….?" Kyou sputtered, staring at Yuki's confused expression. Realization suddenly dawned on Yuki's face and he also flushed, quickly turning away.

"Well, right before you blacked out, you grabbed my shoulder, so I caught you before you fell completely…but not fast enough so that you didn't hit your head on the edge of the tub first." Yuki said, giving a small embarrassed laugh. "And then...since I couldn't carry you all on my own, I called Shigure to help me carry you to your room. But the first thing I did was wrap your towel around you!" Yuki explained rapidly, blushing even harder.

Kyou's eyes were dark with embarrassment. Yuki had seen … everything?

Yuki saw the heated expression on Kyou's face. He had been shocked earlier when he had felt Kyou's hand on his shoulder, but he still didn't turn around fast enough to save Kyou's head from hitting the bathtub. He was in a panic, seeing Kyou passed out and completely naked, and wanting to run out of the room to get Shigure was not an option because of the rope.

Yuki's heart had been pounding when he grabbed the towel to cover Kyou's lower half, trying to look away all the while. Attempting to lift Kyou himself proved unsuccessful, for Kyou was surprisingly heavy and his skin slippery from the water. Yuki had finally yelled for Shigure, and the two half-carried Kyou into his bedroom. Shigure offered to set up a futon for Yuki on the floor next to Kyou's bed, and here they were now, not speaking. When Yuki had snapped out of his thoughts, Kyou had already put his pajamas back on and laid down, head turned towards the wall away from Yuki.

Yuki cleared his throat awkwardly, and climbed out of his futon to switch off the light. Getting comfortable, he faced Kyou's backside, wondering to himself if Kyou was asleep already. He watched Kyou's body rise and fall slowly with deep breaths, and concluded that the cat was already asleep. He sighed heavily. He hadn't wanted the day to end this way, everything had been going well between them that he had been looking forward to a longer talk at night. Even if there was going to be no talk, at least he wanted to see Kyou when he was asleep. Harsh expressions were always the only ones he'd seen on Kyou's face with the exception of today, and Yuki had no doubt that his sleeping face would show a peace he had yet to see.

'I could still see it…" Yuki thought to himself, staring hard at Kyou's backside. Slow, even breaths continued to rule Kyou's otherwise unmoving body, and Yuki sat up. He hesitated. 'Am I turning into some Kyou-obsessed psycho? What if he wakes up and sees me staring at him…that'll go over well,' Yuki belated himself, yet his instincts kept urging him on. 'He won't wake up…look at him, he's dead tired and I doubt anything could wake him up right now.'

Curiosity overruled, and Yuki crept silently to a standing position. Being cursed with the sign of the mouse had helped in these kinds of situations, for Yuki learned how to move unnoticed, just like a small mouse. He drew nearer and nearer to Kyou's backside, finally being close enough to rest his hands on the side of his bed. He listened to Kyou's breathing; it was still as steady as before.

Trying to lean over, Yuki realized he still couldn't see Kyou's face. He would have to actually climb onto the bed. As slowly as he could, Yuki eased a knee onto the bed, and awkwardly lifted the other knee onto the bed, trying to balance precariously on the edge of Kyou's bed. It wasn't working, Kyou was lying too close to the edge of the bed as well, and Yuki just didn't have enough room to balance. Either he would tip forward and fall right on Kyou, or he'd topple backwards onto the floor. He had to come up with another way.

Yuki eased himself off the bed and back onto the floor. He realized that if Kyou was sleeping so close to the edge, that would mean there should be enough space for him to slip in between the wall and Kyou. It was a lot riskier, and probably a lot easier to wake Kyou. Yuki debated his chances, and decided that he hadn't tried this hard for nothing.

He made his way to Kyou's foot of the bed, and lifted one knee onto the bed, then the other. 'Thank God Shigure bought Kyou a big bed,' Yuki thought to himself gratefully as he saw there was indeed more than enough space for him to squeeze between Kyou and the wall. Yuki stretched forward, supporting himself on his elbows, and slowly edged his way closer and closer to Kyou's face.

When he finally reached his destination, Yuki realized he had been right. Seeing Kyou's sleeping face was worth all the trouble he had just gone through. There was not even a trace of tension in his face. Eyes closed and mouth slightly parted as he breathed steadily, Kyou looked like a child. Yuki couldn't help but smile as he looked down to see Kyou's hand tightly clenched around the blanket, almost as if he was holding onto it for support.

He longed to reach out and touch Kyou's sleeping face, just to confirm that he was not dreaming, but that this was really happening, that he, cool Prince Yuki had officially gone insane and crawled onto the bed of a sleeping Kyou Sohma, the cat and sworn enemy of the mouse. He shut his eyes and shook his head, hoping to clear his mind and the cloud of emotion that had fogged his judgment and lead him to do such a crazy thing.

'I really should get off this bed now before I do something stupid,' Yuki thought, willing himself to open his eyes to face reality. But it was too late to regret his actions, for as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw large crimson ones staring right back at him.


	8. Dreams and Desires

**_Author's Note_: **Hehehe I decided not to make you guys wait TOO long for the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Part 8: Dreams and Desires

"What are you doing?" Kyou's quiet voice cut through the deep silence and stirred Yuki from his frozen state of panic.

"Uhh…this isn't…I was really just…" Yuki physically fought to keep himself from jumping up and sprinting away. 'Oh my God. What am I supposed to say, that I'm a stalker and wanted to see what he looked like when he was sleeping? Way to ruin today's progress you've made idiot,' Yuki thought to himself frantically as he struggled to come up with a reply.

"Am I … dreaming again?" Kyou's face was etched with confusion, almost disoriented with sleep. He blinked a couple more times, watching and waiting for Yuki's clarification.

"Yes! You're dreaming! This isn't really happening. I'm…Dream Yuki," Yuki replied quickly, hearing the words escaping from his lips before he had time to process exactly what he was saying. Huge mental smack. 'What the hell am I saying? He's not going to believe that, he's half asleep but he's not brain-dead,' Yuki scolded himself.

"OK," Kyou seemed to accept it and closed his eyes again, relaxing. Yuki felt unsettled. It didn't seem like Kyou to be so gullible, and he had acted as if this was completely normal. He had caught Kyou's use of the word "again"...could this be a common occurrence?

"Do you… see me in your dreams a lot?" Yuki asked almost inaudibly, feeling as though if he talked too loud, he would fully awaken Kyou.

"Don't you know the answer to that? You're the one that comes into my dreams every night. Man, you're almost as slow as the real thing," Kyou snorted impatiently, eyes still shut.

Yuki was glad that Kyou's eyes were still closed, for he couldn't keep the look of surprise off his face. 'Why would he dream about me every night? What could he possibly be dreaming about?' Yuki's mind was whirling.

"So in these dreams of me, what exactly are we doing?" Yuki asked, eager to find out more about these dreams. Kyou opened one eye slowly, and his forehead creased in frustration.

"Is it just me or do dream people's memories really suck? Every dream is the same." Kyou's voice was edged with annoyance. "Since you're always the one to initiate, I would've thought you had the routine down pat by now."

Yuki gulped. 'Routine?' he thought hysterically, anxious yet curious of what he "initiated" in Kyou's dreams. Kyou must've seen the hesitation on Yuki's face, and he sighed, aggravated as hell.

"Look…I'm having enough trouble as it is with the _REAL_ Yuki, I don't need my dreams to be so complicated as well," Kyou snapped. "If you can't remember what you're supposed to do, then I'll show you."

Before Yuki even had time to react, Kyou had already grabbed his hand.

"In my dream, I'd be sleeping when you suddenly appear," Kyou said softly. Yuki felt his mouth grow dry as Kyou scooted closer to Yuki. "Without a word, you lie down beside me, and you smile," Kyou continued, his voice only a gentle whisper. "And then you take my hand…" Kyou's red eyes were gazing intently into Yuki's, and Yuki felt his heart slamming in his chest. The warmth of Kyou's body radiated off of him and spread through Yuki.

"And then…?" Yuki heard his voice crack, and he licked his lips nervously.

Kyou's eyes dipped down temporarily to watch Yuki's tongue dart out to wet his lips. 'Wow this dream feels so real,' Kyou thought to himself before dragging his eyes back up to Yuki's blazing violet ones. The realness of the dream unnerved him, and he grew agitated.

"And then I fall back asleep with you holding my hand, and the dream ends. Is it that hard to remember? Jeez…your stupidity is wearing me out, you're becoming too real. I'm going back to sleep. Dream over." Kyou rolled his eyes at Yuki, exasperated, and proceeded to shut them stubbornly. But he did not let go of Yuki's hand.

Yuki felt like the air whoosh out of him in relief. He had been so anxious about what Kyou's answer would be that he didn't realize he had been holding his breath. Still, he felt a pang of disappointment. 'Did I expect the dream to go any further than that?' Yuki thought, angry at himself for being so naïve…and so dirty-minded. He felt so lost. 'Why do I feel this way? Why was I hoping for more?'

Yuki felt Kyou's grip on his hand ease slightly, and he looked up at Kyou. He was already passed out asleep again. 'He sure falls asleep quick,' Yuki thought to himself, amazed. But he felt the exhaustion wash over him as well, and his eyes threatened to close.

'I really shouldn't fall asleep right here, when Kyou wakes up the next morning he's going to freak out,' Yuki thought to himself tiredly, and started to ease his hand out of Kyou's warm hold, but Kyou held on. There was just no way he could get up.

'I'll just make sure I wake up earlier than Kyou the next morning and hopefully by then he'll have let go,' Yuki thought, feeling somewhat pleased to have come up with a good excuse to stay with Kyou. Finally, fatigue overtook him, and Yuki fell asleep to the rhythm of Kyou's breathing.

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_What should happen next? Now that ONE day is over... I don't know what else I can make them do! Ideas?_


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